DIVINE INTERVENTION
Luke Chapter 5:1-9
5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.
Introduction
1. There are occasions in every man’s life when no one wants to help. David said – Psalm 27:10 He said, When my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up. In other words, father and mother may even forsake. There are occasions when nobody wants to help.
2. There are occasions when those who want to help may fail. Isaiah 49:15&16 God asked a question, He said, Is it possible for a woman to forget a sucking child? That she should not have compassion upon the child of her womb? And he answered a question. He said, “Yes, she may forget.” The people that want to help may fail. During the bomb explosion in Lagos, a lot of women abandoned their sucking children. Those who want to help may fail but God will never fail.
3. There are also occasions when it is beyond the ability of man to help. In Isaiah 43:2 the Almighty God said, when you are passing through the rivers I will be with you, when you are passing through the water it won’t overflow you. He said even when you are passing through fire; the fire will not burn you because I will be there by your side! Now there is no friend who will pass through the fire with you.
So there are occasions when nobody wants to help. There are occasions when those who want to help may fail and then there are occasions when it is beyond human ability to help. In all these cases you need divine intervention.
Every on needs divine intervention at one time or the other so I know God will intervene in our lives! Because in Luke 18:27 the Bible said those things that are impossible with men are possible with God. In fact in Luke 1:37 the Bible said, with God all things are possible. So I want you to tell your neighbour _ “My own will not be impossible tonight!” And I want you to say it believing it because whatever you say that’s what God will do. My own will not be impossible with God!
Because the Bible says in Jeremiah 32:17 God said in His Word, He said, Behold, I am the God of all flesh – is there anything too hard for me? Now he’s asking you that question today. And I want you to give the answer. God says I am the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (No!)
Let us consider certain areas of our life where we need Divine Intervention.
1. Our Physical Life. In John 5:2-9 the Bible tells us about a man who was sick by the pool of Bethesda. The Bible said, he has been there for 38 years. There was no man anymore ready to help him – but somebody came who is the help of the helpless and that somebody is here today. Does anybody know His name? Let me hear You shout that Name! Loud and clear! (Jesus!)
In Matthew 17:14-18 a man brought his son to the disciples. The disciples prayed – they wanted to heal the boy but they failed. They tried but they failed and then somebody came who can never fail. And he set the boy free. There is somebody here in our midst tonight who can never fail. Does anybody know His Name? Let me hear You shout that Name! (Jesus!)
And when you look at Matthew 8:1-3 we have the story of the leper. His case is beyond what any human being can do – no human being could heal him but then there is someone with whom nothing shall be impossible.
In other words, your father may fail, your mother may fail, those who want to help may fail. The Pastor may try and fail, but if you can first attract the attention of Jesus you will be the next fellow to testify. (Amen!)
2. Our Financial Life? Suppose – we have already looked at the case of the physical – he can heal anybody – what about money? What about those of us who are so poor that they already thinking of trying other gods? Or those of us who don’t even know where we will get the next meal from? When you look at 2 Kings 4:1-7 It tells us the story of a widow who was destitute, that they want to sell her 2 sons in order to pay a debt and we have in our case – the husband is not around to help. The neighbours are very friendly, they are friendly but they couldn’t help because they were poor themselves. How do I know they were poor? They had plenty of empty vessels – vessels that were supposed to be full of oil were empty! They loved this woman but they could not help her because they were as poor as herself. She ran to Elisha (His Pastor) and Elisha himself had no money to give to her but God intervened. There is somebody here today God is going to intervene in your finances. (Amen!) Because there is somebody who can supply everything that you need. Does anybody know His Name? (Jesus!) Let me hear that Name one more time! (Jesus!)
3. Our Marital Life: When you look in the story at 1 Samuel 1:4-20 we find the story of Hannah there. Her husband loved her, he wanted to help her. He wanted her to have children like the other wife but the husband was helpless. He couldn’t help Hannah. The barrenness of Hannah was not due to her husband because the other wife had got children. The other woman in the house did not even want Hannah to have a child. She didn’t wish her well and that’s why all those who did not wish you well – you are going to laugh last! (Amen!)
What about Eli, her Pastor? The one who is supposed to be compassionate - he didn’t even understand her problem. When the poor woman was crying out to God her Pastor though she was drunk!
The husband couldn’t help, the other woman didn’t want to help; the priest didn’t even understand – but God intervened! There is at least somebody who wishes you well. Do you know His Name? (Jesus!) Let me hear that Name one more time! (Jesus!)
I’ve told you the story before of a woman who was barren and the Pastor had prayed for her for several years. Nothing happened. Finally the Pastor asked her, He said, “All the others that I prayed for they are already mothers of children. What’s your own case?” And the woman told a story, that when she was young she was fooling around so she became pregnant, had to commit abortion which failed. She went to the hospital and to save her life they took off her womb and so the Pastor said, “You mean you have no womb?” The woman said, “Yes.” “Then why are you asking me to pray that you become pregnant?” The woman said, “But you are the one who taught us that with God nothing shall be impossible!” How many of you believe that your own will be possible today? Let me hear you shout ‘Alleluia!’ (Alleluia!)
From that day the Pastor began to run – any time he sees the woman coming from one angle the Pastor will run out the other angle., One day the woman said, “ it’s all right. If the Pastor is running from me. I will look unto God. I will take my eyes off the Pastor. “ Somebody’s going to take his eyes off the Pastor today and look unto Jesus…look unto who? That night she had a dream in which she was standing naked and a man came through the wall -–huge man with the skin of an animal in his hand. She was so frightened she couldn’t move. When the man got to the woman he wrapped the skin of the animal round her and disappeared and the woman woke up, shaking and sweating but suddenly she knew that God had come to give her a new womb. Today she’s the mother of children. When nobody else can help – there is still somebody left who can do the absolutely impossible. Do I hear somebody shout His Name? (Jesus!)
4. Our Spiritual Life?
In Matthew 15:22-28, the Bible says there is a woman, her daughter was being tormented by the devil. She carried the baby to Jesus – Lord help me! Jesus didn’t answer. The disciples said. Lord – let’s get rid of her she is too noisy. She wants to attract attention. She wants you to pay attention to her. Let’s drive her away. See! That girl was under the torment of the devil. The mother wanted to help – but she couldn’t. …..
So are you here, you need divine intervention in any area of your life, pray a prayer of intervention. That type in Mark 10:46-52, “Have mercy on me…” The prayer of today is ‘Have mercy on me ...... not ”on us” Have mercy on me! Let’s open our mouth and call on the Almighty God – and say, “Lord! I am the one in need of divine intervention! Have mercy on me!
